Mexican beauty queen Maria Susana Flores Gamez killed in shootout

Maria Susana Flores Gamez, a 20-year-old Mexican beauty queen, is seen in this undated file photo. Flores Gamez died Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, in a gun battle between soldiers and the alleged gang of drug traffickers she was traveling with.

November 27, 2012 12:00:00 AM PST

CULIACAN, Mexico --

A 20-year-old Mexican beauty queen was killed in a shootout between military troops and drug traffickers in the town of Mocoritos.

Maria Susana Flores Gamez was found dead Saturday, lying near an assault rifle on a rural road in a mountainous area of the drug-plagued state of Sinaloa. It was unclear if she had used the weapon.

Authorities said the model was traveling with an alleged gang of drug traffickers. Two other members of the drug gang were also killed and four were detained.

Six vehicles, drugs and weapons were seized following the confrontation. It was at least the third instance in which a beauty queen or pageant contestants have been linked to Mexico's violent drug gangs, a theme so common it was the subject of the 2011 movie "Miss Bala," or "Miss Bullet."

Flores Gamez was voted the 2012 Woman of Sinaloa in February. In June, she competed in the more prestigious state beauty contest, Our Beauty Sinaloa, but didn't win.